Palace says impeachment complaint vs Marcos baseless

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang downplayed yesterday the attempt of former National Youth Commission chairman Ronald Cardema and his wife Marie to file an impeachment complaint against President Marcos, saying it was “baseless.”

The Cardema couple cited in their complaint Marcos’ alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and alleged betrayal of public trust “when he allowed the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte on the basis of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).”

Cardema said House Secretary General Reginald Velasco was not around to receive the complaint, endorsed by the Duterte Youth Party-list, on Thursday.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said at a press briefing the Cardemas have the right to file a complaint, but the accusations are baseless.

Castro said the President and the administration “only performed their duties and enforced the law, including their commitment to the Interpol” on Duterte’s arrest.

“Whatever the President and the administration do, it is all based on the law,” she said.

As legislators, Castro urged the Duterte Youth Party-list to “make more laws.”

Duterte was arrested on March 11 over an arrest warrant released by the ICC through the Interpol. He was flown to the ICC in The Hague in the Netherlands on the same day.

Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity over the thousands of deaths linked to his drug war.

Meanwhile, Castro hit back at Vice President Sara Duterte over her remarks that the country is witnessing a “systematic demolition job” against its political opponents.

The Vice President made the remarks during the miting de avance of PDP-Laban’s senatorial candidates on Thursday. Duterte said she and her family are not the problem of the country.

“Yes, we have watched her speech and the negative things she mentioned… she seemed to be describing herself and the Duterte family,” Castro said.

The Vice President said the nation had elected a leader who has no ability to understand the plight of the people.

Castro hit back, saying it was during the term of Duterte as secretary of the Department of Education that the education sector was neglected.

“That’s why we agree with what she said, that we are now paying the price for choosing the wrong leader. So isn’t she the country’s problem or one of the country’s problems?” Castro said.

No Congress session, no impeachment

The House of Representatives cannot act on the reported impeachment complaint, as Congress remains in recess, Speaker Martin Romualdez clarified on Thursday night.

“We’re not in session right now. So, not much can be done,” Romualdez told reporters in an interview following the Region 8 unity rally led by Tingog Party-list of Reps. Yedda Romualdez and Jude Acidre and the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) for Marcos’ Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates.

The House secretary general was unavailable to receive the complaint, as he was attending a seminar.

“What I know is even the sec-gen is in a seminar. So, we may have to wait for the proper time to consider that,” Romualdez, Lakas-CMD president, said.

When asked about the timing of the complaint, Romualdez said he didn’t know what inspired the complainant Cardemas.

Acidre had earlier dismissed the complaint as a political maneuver.

“I haven’t read the impeachment complaint yet, but the timing is highly questionable. It’s only four days before the elections,” he said.

For its part, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives said yesterday that the  attempt to file impeachment complaint against Marcos is a desperate diversionary tactic to shield the Duterte family from accountability.

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel, in a joint statement, said the timing of the impeachment bid is calculated to divert public attention from the more substantive impeachment case against Vice President Duterte, which is backed by evidence of corruption and abuse of power.

“It is clear that this impeachment complaint is a big theatrical show to divert the public’s attention... The Cardemas will not succeed in their pretension that they are for the people while serving the interest of the Dutertes,” Castro said.

Brosas said the party-list group “is merely riding on anti-Marcos sentiments to push their pro-Duterte agenda. This is a desperate attempt to reframe the narrative about the ICC case, shifting focus from the grave human rights violations committed during Duterte’s administration to procedural questions about the arrest.”

“Don’t be fooled by this publicity stunt. It is obvious that this is a political maneuver in aid of election and it is not truly defending the interest of the people,” Manuel said. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Jose Rodel Clapano